L.A. baker Zoe Nathan talks about baking for charity and doughnuts

Zoe Nathan’s life hasn’t always revolved around baking and pastries. The Los Angeles-born pastry chef, who is co-owner with her husband, Josh Loeb, of establishments including Huckleberry Café and Bakery, Rustic Canyon, Sweet Rose Creamery Cassia, Esters Wine Shop & Bar, Tallula’s and Milo and Olive, moved to New York early on to study photography and writing. But Nathan loved working with her hands and soon found herself working in kitchens. After stints at Lupa in New York City and Joe’s in Venice, she honed her craft at Tartine Bakery & Café in San Francisco and bld in Los Angeles.

Well, this is our first, so I’m a bit new. But I can tell you about the bake sales that we do in general and I’m hoping that this is like that. The whole baking and gathering idea is that I’m just so happy that they’re happening, and I’m happy to support it. I love that we’re using what we love to do to raise money for things and I think it’s a really fun way to bring people together. I love the bake sale idea because it’s such a low price point that makes it feel like everybody can be involved. That’s cool. You know what I mean? Those big dinners — they feel very exclusive. Even those big food hall events, they’re really expensive to get into, you know.

I just feel like it’s a fundamental idea that every person has a seat at the table, right? And we could make some change. You know, it’s like that Obama thing, where everybody gave what they could give: a dollar, two dollars. It’s not like, hey, can you give $2,000? Which feels like a very L.A. thing.

I’m thinking doughnuts. It’s funny, we’ve done so many events in our lifetime and, well, slowly we’re coming to realize that doughnuts are just the best thing.

Doughnuts make people so happy.

Any time of day. It’s super fun and, you know, and we can glaze to order and make it super fun. So probably I’m thinking doughnuts.

They’re really taking the time to do something and I just feel really grateful for anybody who ever does this. There are so many people who have put on functions like this all over the city, and they take the time on top of all the hard work they’re doing — I really love the baking community in L.A. They’re just down and they’re doing it for the love.

Yeah. I’m on like a serious health kick right now, but I’m also still obsessed with baking. And so for me, I loving baking with like all the alternative flours and sweeteners. I find all that stuff really inspirational. I love the idea of like making all these things that give you these really awesome flavors, like whole grains, and they’re healthy but in a way that’s super delicious.

Held within the Night Market, in downtown L.A.’s Grand Park, the Los Angeles Times Food Bowl charity bake sale offers the opportunity to purchase pastries and confections created by some of the area’s top bakers and pastry chefs. Proceeds from the sale will benefit Food Bowl official charity partner Food Forward. Contributors include Huckleberry Bakery & Cafe, Milo & Olive, Sweet Rose Creamery, Broken Spanish and Valerie Confections.